RNC requests IRS documents

The Republican National Committee filed a Freedom of Information Act request Wednesday seeking documents related to the IRS’ targeting of conservative groups.

The broad request seeks any documents involving the words “tea party,” “patriot” or “9/12 project” and nonprofit groups between January 1, 2010 and May 20 of this year. The request specifically covers communications between the White House or Treasury Department and IRS and also seeks communication with Celia Rhody, the tax lawyer who asked a planted question about the scandal and with Sarah Hall Ingram, the former IRS tax-exempt division head who now heads up a unit charged with implementing the Affordable Care Act.

Text Size

“As each day passes, Americans find ourselves with more questions about the IRS’s targeting of conservative groups and donors—and what the White House and Treasury Department knew and when,” RNC Chairman Reince Priebus said in a statement, adding later: “With Lois Lerner, the head of the tax exempt organizations division of the IRS, planning to plead the Fifth before Congress for fear of self-incrimination, there’s clearly something serious the American people are not being told.”

The IRS admitted it singled out conservative groups’ applications for tax-exempt status for additional scrutiny earlier this month. The admission has caused headaches for President Barack Obama’s administration, sparked GOP outrage and led to three congressional hearings.

In his statement, Priebus noted that the “liberal group ProPublica” — a well-respected and non-ideological investigative news outlet — filed a FOIA request in November, it received information, including confidential documents, within 13 days.

“We hope the IRS will handle our request for information with the same expediency,” Priebus said.